Refreshing Summer Delight: How to Make Soba Noodles
Beat the Heat with Chilled Soba (Memil Soba) – A Cool Noodle Recipe for Hot Days
Today, I’m sharing a refreshing chilled soba noodle recipe (Memil Soba) perfect for summer. Enjoy this cool and satisfying dish that’s sure to whet your appetite on a warm day.
Ingredients- Soba noodles: 120g
- Store-bought soba sauce (Tsuyu): 30ml
- Cold water: 100ml
- Ice: adequate amount
- Daikon radish: 2cm thick slice
- Green onion
- Seaweed (Nori or Gim)
- Wasabi (Japanese horseradish): adequate amount
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Let’s start by making the refreshing soba dipping sauce. In a deep bowl, combine 100ml of cold water with 30ml of store-bought soba sauce (Tsuyu) and stir well. Place this mixture in the freezer to chill thoroughly. It’s good to check on it periodically to prevent it from freezing solid.
Step 2
Wash the daikon radish, peel it, and cut it into roughly 2cm thick pieces. Place the cut daikon radish into a blender with a very small amount of water (about 1-2 tablespoons) and blend until smooth. This grated radish will add a refreshing and clean flavor to your soba broth.
Step 3
Finely chop the green onion. Slicing it thinly will help it blend better into the broth and be easier to eat. Prepare it fresh as it will be used as a garnish.
Step 4
Finely shred the seaweed. If you have raw seaweed (gim), that’s ideal. If not, you can finely chop or crumble seasoned seaweed (sushi nori), just ensure it’s not too strongly flavored. This will add an extra layer of umami.
Step 5
Now, let’s prepare to cook the soba noodles. Soba noodles are typically dried, so measure out the amount you intend to eat. While you can refer to the package instructions, a standard serving is about 120g per person.
Step 6
Bring a generous pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add the 120g of soba noodles. Gently stir the noodles to prevent them from sticking together. Soba noodles usually cook in about 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook them, as they can become mushy.
Step 7
Once the noodles are cooked to perfection, immediately drain them in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. This step removes excess starch and gives the noodles a wonderfully chewy texture. Rinsing them in cold water also ensures they are nice and chilled.
Step 8
After draining the noodles completely, arrange them neatly into portions, often by swirling them. Place them in your serving bowl and generously top with ice cubes. The ice will keep both the noodles and the broth refreshingly cold.
Step 9
Finally, pour the chilled soba broth from the freezer over the noodles, or serve the sauce on the side for dipping. Your delicious chilled soba is ready! Garnish with the chopped green onion, grated daikon radish, shredded seaweed, and a dollop of wasabi to your preference for an even more flavorful and cooling experience.
